🎧 German Lessons

Episode summary: David and Helen are joined by Politico’s chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig to explore the consequences of the German elections. Who were the real winners and losers? Are there lessons for centre-left parties in other countries, including the Labour Party in Britain? And what are the choices facing Germany as it decides on its place in an increasingly unstable world? Plus we ask whether this was a Covid election. If not, why not? Talking Points: What was surprising about the German elections? - To expect something is different from seeing it actually happen. Do campaigns make a difference to election outcomes? - In this case, it looks like it did. It was pretty clear that Laschet was a poor candidate. - Laschet’s response to the floods was a turning point. Scholz prevailed because of his experience—he isn’t perceived as a change candidate. - The SPD base has moved to the left, but Scholz is more of a centrist. - The CDU, on the other hand, was much less stable. Most German voters wanted change,…